After avoiding Sarah for a solid week, Delilah had accepted an invitation to afternoon tea at her house. She had tearfully confessed to Sarah over the phone about her break up with Mac. Sarah had been sad on her behalf and rather incredulous. Delilah had sheepishly admitted that although she loved Mac she hadn’t been able to break down her walls to tell him so. Her sister had sounded very disappointed and confused.
At the moment she couldn’t think of anything she wanted to do less than sit down with her blissfully happy sister who was married to the love of her life. Yep. Who just so happened to be Mac’s older brother. Things were way too complicated with her sister being married to a Donahue. It would put Mac in her orbit until the end of time. The very thought of seeing him with another woman one day gutted her.
When Delilah arrived at Sarah and Blue’s house she was surprised to see so many cars parked outside. Was this a tea party? Had Sarah forgotten to tell her that important fact? She really wasn’t in the mood to make small talk. All she wanted to do was wallow in her misery.
She let herself in to the house and headed straight for the dining room. Delilah stopped in her tracks. A crowd of women were gathered there—all of them bearing the last name of Donahue, with the exception of Kaitlyn who would soon become a Donahue bride. The stunning cream and lilac invitation to her beach wedding was sitting on Delilah’s bedside table.
Six pairs of eyes swung in her direction. No one seemed particularly happy to see her, with the exception of Sarah.
“Hey Lilah,” Sarah greeted her. “Come on in and sit down. We’re just about to start.”
“Hello everyone,” Delilah said. She was greeted by lukewarm hellos and a few mumbled words. Hmm. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Donahue females were none too happy with her. Had Mac badmouthed her to them? No way. That couldn’t be it. He wasn’t that type of person.
As everyone sat down at the table, Delilah focused her gaze on her tea cup. There was some serious tension hovering in the air. Why had Sarah put her in this awkward position?
“So, Lilah,” Sarah said, “You’ve been invited here for an intervention.”
Delilah’s jaw dropped. “A what? I don’t need an intervention.”
“A love intervention,” Tess quipped. “Trust us. You need it.”
“You need to get it together,” Rose said in a spirited voice.
“What can I do?” Delilah wailed. “I messed up the best thing to ever happen to me.”
“First of all, you need to buck up and fight for Mac,” Sarah said. Her hands were folded across her chest and her head was cocked to the side. “He’s a keeper.”
“Dry your tears and shake a tail feather,” Kaitlyn said. When the ladies looked at her questioningly, she put her hands up she said, “It’s just an expression. In other words, get a move on. Time is ticking away.”
“I agree,” Gabrielle said, her caramel colored eyes flashing. “Mac is so worth fighting for. You can’t let another day go by without telling him how you truly feel.”
Clearly Sarah must have spilled the beans about her strong feelings for Mac. Any other time she would have been upset about her sister blabbing her business, but at the moment she really did need the guidance of these women.
“And the poor guy is licking his wounds,” Layla said, sending Delilah a baffled look. Delilah wanted to cry. Not only had she hurt Mac, but now her sister and her good friend, Layla, were both upset with her. Not to mention Kaitlyn, Rose, Gabrielle and Tess.
Tess folded her arms across her chest. “Sorry, but if you’re going to hurt Mac again—.”
“Good point,” Rose said with a pointed look at Delilah. “What are your intentions?”
Her intentions? Oh no. Now she had to convince all of Mac’s sisters-in-law, even her own sister, that she was serious about loving Mac.
“I won’t hurt him. Not ever again,” Delilah vowed with a vehement nod of her head. “I was stupid. And afraid. Afraid of being hurt again. Afraid of laying it all on the line only to get swatted down again. For one foolish moment I took my eyes off the prize and I allowed self-doubt and my past to color everything. For years I prayed to God to bring me a faithful, loving man who would see me for who I am deep down in my soul. I can’t tell you how sad and lonely and dejected I’ve been over the years. I thought God had forsaken me and that I was going to be alone for the rest of my life. Then, God answered my prayers. He brought me Mac.” Hot tears ran down Delilah’s face and she swiped them away with the back of her hand. “He sent me the man who I was made to love and be loved by.”